Decor Deals: My Five Tops Spots

1. Thrift Stores

Thrift stores are always a good place to find great deals on decor – everything from furniture to great home accessories. But I know some people find it overwhelming and never walk away with the good stuff. Here rae my tips:

1. Get to know your local thrift. Pick a store in a more affluent neighborhoods– better donations. Further, know the demographic of the ‘hood – hipster area usually means trendy clothing but perhaps not great housewares.
2. Avoid shopping on the weekend. Pick a slower weekday like Tuesday.
3. Take your time – there is a lot of stuff and it isn’t always merchandised well. Be sure to go up and down the same aisles over and over. You will be amazed the new finds you discover with each pass.
4. Flip it over – know your labels. A lot of furniture has the name of the manufacturer stamped on it. Turn over the table and google the name. You can often find great deals on antiques this way.
5. Know your tags . Every store has different coloured price tags or stickers. And those mean something. They often give hints as to when they might go on markdown. Ask an employee, they will usually tell you what each colour means.
6. Keep measurements in your phone of key areas or items you are looking for.
7. See beyond the obvious. How can you transform a piece into something else.
8. Always sign up for their emails to be alerted of upcoming deal days.

2. HomeSense 

HomeSense is the place to go for the latest in home furnishing and accessories at great prices. You don’t even need to wait for a sale to hit to get that soft pink ottoman you have seen in every mag. They will almost definitely have it – and it will be a great price. NB: To my American Readers HomeGood is part of the HomeSense family but I prefer HomeSense. And they have bgun to open some in the US as well. Check here.

Here are my tips for HomeSense:

1. Get to know your store manager. Many of their stores get new product on Tuesday but double check with the manager. They often can tell you as well if some new feature is coming up – HomeSense Privé events are the best – very luxe items for deals.
2. Think strategically about the location. Each location carries a different assortment. For example, a downtown stores often carries smaller scale furniture for condo dwellers. While the larger stores in the suburbs will have bigger scale items.
3. Go check out the website. Many of the stores will list the departments they carry – be it gourmet or lighting. These stores wwill have the best selection of those items.
4. Follow one of the many HomeSense fan Instagram accounts – they post new finds and tag the location. It’s like signing up for a scavenger hunt of style.
5. Make a map. I often will plan out a Saturday so that I can hit a few in a row without making detours.
6. Enlist friends to spot items you are looking for.

Buying Online

There are a number of newer stores that are popping up as online only home stores. They often offer much better price points for items because they have less overhead. One of my favs is Article. Here are the tricks for shopping online:

1. If you plan to buy your furniture from one of these websites, make sure to carefully assess store reviews before making your purchases.
2. Know the return policy for each store. Many will insist you keep the original boxes for your return.
3. Check shipping costs. I love that Article has a US and Canadian warehouse so you can avoid duties and import fees.
4. Compare pricing for similar items.
5. Sign up for their mailing list for extra deals.
6. Measure twice and order once. Will it fit in your room but also will it fit in your doorway or up your stairs?

Apps: Bunz

Bunz was a very successful Facebook page that turned into an app. The entire premise of this app is that no money is exchanged. It is a barter economy. On it, you can trade almost anything including great décor.  The concept is all about trading out thing you no longer need for something you do…it’s very green. Here are some great tips I got from the Bunz team re hunting for decor.

1. Saved searches will help you quickly check up on items you are looking for.
2. You can search by hashtags – so pick common ones that would best describe the item or style you are looking for.
3. Make sure you use the category filters:  search for ‘vintage’ or ‘retro’ or filter search results by category i.e, ‘Furniture’ or ‘Decor’
4. Check back often. New items are posted every minute. And the good finds go fast.
5. Research your items, know the value of the item. And the value of what you want to trade.
6. Inspect the item when you meet up. There is no shame in walking away from a deal if its more beat up than you were lead to believe.

Dumpster Diving  

I love a good sidewalk or garbage find. I have found many collectibles. An antique fireplace mantle and a few other things. The legality of trash picking varies according to where you live. In some places, the garbage is fair game once discarded. In others, taking the trash is considered theft. People may not complain unless you damage property or make a mess, but you are technically trespassing if you enter someone’s property to access the dumpster or cans. But here are my tips:

1. Wear protective gear – mask, old clothes, etc  And bring anti bacterial wipes. And shower the minute you get home if you actually dived in.
2. Find out when your city does seasonal clean ups. Most cities will offer a week where residents can dispose of larger items. These are often great pieces of furniture.
3. Wander more affluent neighborhoods for better trash.
4. Check out retail store garbage – old displays can be transformed into many cool decor items.
5. Always dive with a friend for safety.
6. Have large vehicle with furniture blankets for those big finds.
7. If you don’t want to go all dumpster – find out the garbage pick up schedule and wander that neighborhood. Often people put items out beside their garbage.
8. Avoid mattresses and fabric covered items.
9. Clean it well when you get it home – use TSP.